Homemade Ice Cream – Nanaimo Bar

A while ago I got an ice cream machine and it’s been quite fabulous, especially on hot days. The machine I got is the Cuisinart ICE-21C which makes all kinds of frozen treats such as traditional and dairy-free ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet as well as brownies and caramel, chocolate and raspberry sauce. It’s a pretty fantastic machine that is easy to use, clean and store. The machine comes with a little recipe booklet with basic recipes for vanilla and chocolate ice creams as well as some fun ones like S’mores.

I chose to make a custard-style vanilla ice cream base so I could add whatever the hell I wanted to it afterwards. Once the ice cream is ready, it’s a soft-serve consistency so you simply fold anything you can dream of into it; pie and cake slices, cookies, fruits, etc. I went with a custard-style ice cream because I enjoy a rich and creamy ice cream and the simple cream base ice cream recipes weren’t cutting for me. The egg yolks really help with the creaminess as well as preventing crystallization once in the freezer.

Lately I’ve been craving ice cream because it’s ridiculously hot and humid as well as nanaimo bars for some unknown reason, so I thought of making a mash up of both because why the fuck not! We’re all adults here and we are allowed to eat scrumptious things (in moderation.) Fun fact, nanaimo bars are of Canadian origins and the City of Nanaimo has THE best recipe for homemade nanaimo bars on their website if you feel adventurous. I bought my nanaimo bars at M&M Meat Shops.

The first base I made had cane sugar, cream, milk and vanilla extract and I was not impressed at all. It was blend even though the vanilla was overpowering and it crystallized overnight which made a really shitty and gritty ice cream. It was sadness in a bowl, I tell you! For my second attempt I went with vanilla almond milk and cream and while it was cooking on the stove, it released the most amazing scents of nuts, cream and vanilla – I wanted to drink it all! My cat also felt the same because the bastard drank the foamy fats on top of the liquid when it was cooling down on the counter so he left me with low fat ice cream… which isn’t bad but DAMN YOU CAT FOR RUINING THINGS!

Ingredients:

2 cups vanilla almond milk

2 cups 5% cream (a mix of heavy cream and milk) or heavy cream

1 cup cane sugar, separated in half

pinch of salt

5 large egg yolks

In a medium saucepan on medium low heat, bring the almond milk, half a cup of sugar and cream to a slight boil

While the milk mixture is heating, whisk on low speed half a cup of sugar and the egg yolks until pale yellow and thick

When the milk mixture has come to a slight boil, add 1/3 of a cup to the egg/sugar mixture then add another 1/3 cup – continue to whisk as you incorporate the warm milk into the egg mixture

Combine egg mixture to the saucepan and bring the heat to low

Take a wooden spoon and mix continuously until the mixture thickens a little a bit – DO NOT overcook, this process will only take a few minutes

Take off the heat and bring mixture to room temperature before covering and refrigerating the mixture up to 2 hours or overnight

If you are not using a flavoured milk like I am, you can add 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract after the mix cooled and before refrigerating it

When the mixture is ready, set up your machine with the frozen ice cream bowl then add the mix

Start and let mix until it is thick, about 20 minutes

On a cutting board, take a knife and 3 nanaimo bar squares (I found 3 to be enough but you can add more!)

Cut the squares in smaller squares and fold the pieces into the soft ice cream before transferring to a container, add the pieces into the machine during the last 2 minutes of the cycle or add the bar pieces in layers with the ice cream (1 layer of ice cream then 1 layer of bar pieces. Repeat until all gone)

Nanaimo Bar Ice Cream

TIPS:

Melt some chocolate with a little bit of coconut oil (about 1 tbsp per 1 cup of oil)

Dip the rim of the ice cream cones in the chocolate – dip in sprinkles or chopped nuts for extra goodness and fun

Blow a small sized balloon

Dip the round tip into the chocolate

Let harden in the fridge for a few minutes

Pop the balloon and enjoy a chocolate bowl – dip in sprinkles or chopped nuts before letting the chocolate harden